The thing I find the most interesting is the total absence of a caster thus far. They always seem to play a major role in the strategy or at least style of the side, so given the Queen's unusual attendance at the War Council, you'd have thought any caster they have would be there too. Or that Forecastle would have mentioned one generally speaking even if they weren't present. This leads me to suspect that either they lack one, or that its of a discipline they shun/think to be useless. Maybe some discipline that can't do much at sea, like a Florist, Dirtamancer, or Croakamancer.

It would be so funny if Seaworld had a Dirtamancer, and he/she was even more bored out of his skull than Lord Forecastle who at least gets to go hiking every turn, sorry "patrolling".

A related thought I just had was what if a kingdom asked their predictamancer to predict when a given side is at their weakest before attacking? I wonder if that would work.

Probably, as long as the other side didn't have a Fate that required it stay alive...Then, you might very well put yourself at risk just by preparing to attack them.

"At their weakest' is subjective. A Side can be at its weakest point after a massive battle, but still outnumber your troops 500:1, have a much higher CWL bonus, and only has a halfway murderous defensive capital. Their 'weakest' still easily repels your attack and sets you up for a counter.

The thing I find the most interesting is the total absence of a caster thus far. They always seem to play a major role in the strategy or at least style of the side, so given the Queen's unusual attendance at the War Council, you'd have thought any caster they have would be there too. Or that Forecastle would have mentioned one generally speaking even if they weren't present. This leads me to suspect that either they lack one, or that its of a discipline they shun/think to be useless. Maybe some discipline that can't do much at sea, like a Florist, Dirtamancer, or Croakamancer.

It would be so funny if Seaworld had a Dirtamancer, and he/she was even more bored out of his skull than Lord Forecastle who at least gets to go hiking every turn, sorry "patrolling".

Then again, Digdoug was able to use storm in Wheatherbug with the rationnal that it was part of the terrain. A dirtamancer might be incredibly usefull to a maritime side if controlling the tide/ wave/ terrain of an ocean hex is something dirtamancy allow. That would be good protection against attacking vessels and a dirtamancer with the seafaring special could really be a brutal asset for a side.

_________________3 Naughtymancers of different disciplines walk into a bar... Actually, forget what I said: A shockmancer and a croakamancer walk into a bar.

On the other hand, Doug also couldn't sense the terrain while he was in a wagon. Presumably, he'd have the same issue on a ship. So, a Dirtamancer on a ship might not be very useful, even if a coastal Dirtamancer was very useful.

On the one hand, ANOTHER story about an Erfworld side who are dogmatic and fail to appreciate what they've got is a little tiresome now. On the other hand, Erf seafaring and the idea of sending ships out on missions that will take dozens of turns is very interesting. It's a very different dynamic to what we've seen with Erf armies on land.

Of course, you'd think that a navy would require caster protection. These ships of the line apparently concentrate so much value in one place that one enemy caster with a Shockamancy scroll could do incredibly cost-effective damage.

On the other hand, Doug also couldn't sense the terrain while he was in a wagon. Presumably, he'd have the same issue on a ship. So, a Dirtamancer on a ship might not be very useful, even if a coastal Dirtamancer was very useful.

There are ways though, especially since food just pops.

Set down a Dirtamancer in a life raft, attack someone, retreat a few hexes, have a Dirtamancer grow some Coral Reef in the most likely pursuit hex.

The thing I find the most interesting is the total absence of a caster thus far.

This was just part 1. It's not like we've seen much of anything 'so far'.

Very true, I realize that. I just figure if it was any caster who is part of their military strategy like Wanda and Ace have been to their respective sides, the caster should have been at that meeting.

Nothing in the update specifically suggests a caster isn't at the meeting. Lots of people are at the meeting. Lots of vague faces, all of them busy doing and discussing things, all of them more important than our poor redundant protagonist. Who is not high enough in the chain of command to be consulted about things like contacting Charlie for intel or hiring lookamancers or whatever.

On the other hand, Doug also couldn't sense the terrain while he was in a wagon. Presumably, he'd have the same issue on a ship. So, a Dirtamancer on a ship might not be very useful, even if a coastal Dirtamancer was very useful.

There are ways though, especially since food just pops.

Set down a Dirtamancer in a life raft, attack someone, retreat a few hexes, have a Dirtamancer grow some Coral Reef in the most likely pursuit hex.

Digdoug and Sizemore both talk about needing to touch the Erf (ground) itself. So it might not work on water, unless SCUBA!

_________________If a post in a reaction thread irks you, consider PMs, or the use of a thread in another subforum and invite the poster there. This isn't reddit, but I want to hit the [-] button to skip past all the feels to find crunchy or baseless speculation.

They seem to be rating ships in "masts". The sentences read a lot like how age of sail ships for stupid-world are ratted in "guns" (U.S.S. Constitution 44 guns). I think this might imply a more significant correlation between masts and the offensive power of a ship than in stupid world. Perhaps similar to the Pirates of the Spanish Main table top game where each mast could make an attack, so losing a mast to damage ment loosing offensive power and a ship with 3 masts was more dangerous than the (usually faster) sloops with only 1 mast.

On the other hand, Doug also couldn't sense the terrain while he was in a wagon. Presumably, he'd have the same issue on a ship. So, a Dirtamancer on a ship might not be very useful, even if a coastal Dirtamancer was very useful.

There are ways though, especially since food just pops.

Set down a Dirtamancer in a life raft, attack someone, retreat a few hexes, have a Dirtamancer grow some Coral Reef in the most likely pursuit hex.

Digdoug and Sizemore both talk about needing to touch the Erf (ground) itself. So it might not work on water, unless SCUBA!

well unless water counts as "erf" for Dirtamancy purposes which it might since there is no Aquamancy school, which since there is Maritime rules for Erf I would think that there would either be a school of magic to cover water, or it would be tied into another school.

i am wondering if anchormen waited a ridiculous amount of time to pop a 5 or more mast ship. would be fun to see a warlord deal with that. or maybe anchormen had level up its capital and then discover that it could pop a new unit type: an iron side ship. when they were first made they were super weapons. in the American civil war 2 iron sides battles each other and could not sink each other. or maybe they just made a ship with cannons. we don't now the current technological level of the current erfworld ships. also fortress might imply a city built to protect itself and the cities around it. sacrifice the tower and tunnels for the garrison and walls and you have well... a fortress.

well unless water counts as "erf" for Dirtamancy purposes which it might since there is no Aquamancy school, which since there is Maritime rules for Erf I would think that there would either be a school of magic to cover water, or it would be tied into another school.

It's tough to say. Castles and tower floors counted as the ground, after all, since they had a foundation set into the ground. The wagon was set on the ground, but had no foundation so didn't count as ground.

Water in Stupidworld is constantly moving in currents, on the surface due to wind, and whenever anything moves through it. But, we don't know that any of that is true in Erf. And, even if it is, the fact that the whole ocean may still settle on a floor of dirt might still count as it being founded in the dirt. Or, it might not.

Certainly Dirtamancers can create and manipulate water in some ways, since they can make water traps. And, shifting earth beneath the ocean in Stupidworld definitely has major effects on the water here, so the same might be true in Erfworld. So, it's a definite maybe.

Turtlewing wrote:

Re reading the update I noticed the way they talk about ships.

They seem to be rating ships in "masts".

That actually is a normal way to rate sailing vessels, even in modern times. For instance, the HMS Victory is a 3-mast'r.

A related thought I just had was what if a kingdom asked their predictamancer to predict when a given side is at their weakest before attacking? I wonder if that would work.

Probably not, but even if it did, Fate still has the option of betraying whoever asks that question. For example, suppose you had asked it of Gobwin Knob. The answer you'd get would be something like "Immediately after the end of the battle with the RCC" and this would be true: at that point, they're down to a single Level 1 city, the remaining casters, Parson, Stanley, a few golems and dwagons and a single hobgobwin. However, if you planned on using this fact, chances are you'd either get wiped out by the volcano (if a little bit early) or run into the Decrypted horde (if a little bit late).

well unless water counts as "erf" for Dirtamancy purposes which it might since there is no Aquamancy school, which since there is Maritime rules for Erf I would think that there would either be a school of magic to cover water, or it would be tied into another school.

Castles and tower floors counted as the ground, after all, since they had a foundation set into the ground.

I believe that all required is an uninterrupted connection to the Terrain, and because Structures are under the purview of Dirtamancy, they do not count as an "interruption". Vehicles and the like are not, so they interpt the sense. Because Water is a Terrain feature, I think it's reasonable to conclude that if the Dirtamancer has contact with it, that's valid (so, being on a boat wouldn't count). Of course mind you, the ability to sense the erf requires contact, but nowhere did they say they needed contact to perform magic at all. In fact, Digdoug completed casting his water pit trap while he was in midair...so to me that suggests contact is required only for sensing, not for casting. Granted casting "blind" is probably harder, but apparently not impossible.

_________________"I'm afraid I don't understand. And also afraid that I do."

With Erfworld, I take everything as unconfirmed until it's in the comic or Rob says it.

_________________Toolshed - let's get to Milestone 4 - Rob & Linda can do things like buy a house and have a fancy wedding. Plus, Erfworld bedtime story! - Thanks to everyone for helping to reach Milestone 3! - You can Friend users to highlight their posts!

well unless water counts as "erf" for Dirtamancy purposes which it might since there is no Aquamancy school, which since there is Maritime rules for Erf I would think that there would either be a school of magic to cover water, or it would be tied into another school.

Castles and tower floors counted as the ground, after all, since they had a foundation set into the ground.

I believe that all required is an uninterrupted connection to the Terrain, and because Structures are under the purview of Dirtamancy, they do not count as an "interruption". Vehicles and the like are not, so they interpt the sense. Because Water is a Terrain feature, I think it's reasonable to conclude that if the Dirtamancer has contact with it, that's valid (so, being on a boat wouldn't count). Of course mind you, the ability to sense the erf requires contact, but nowhere did they say they needed contact to perform magic at all. In fact, Digdoug completed casting his water pit trap while he was in midair...so to me that suggests contact is required only for sensing, not for casting. Granted casting "blind" is probably harder, but apparently not impossible.

If you want the Dirtamancer to feel the water (perhaps to sense what is ahead), just dangle the mancer in a rope from the bowsprit.

Who is online

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum